mHealth Assist is being designed to support healthcare management and independent living for people with long-term conditions, providing personalised healthcare information and support that is customised to meet individual needs, developed through researching user needs and understanding current commercial offerings.

The project is being funded through an investment from the Creative England NHS Digital Fund awarded to HMA Digital Marketing, recently ranked as one of the top 50 agencies in the North of England. The Fund is geared towards creative SMEs who want to take innovative concepts or prototypes into the NHS marketplace.

Early research at CATCH with potential users is defining what functions need to be included so that people can easily access the most useful support and information. This focusses on the needs of vulnerable people including those living with dementia, visual impairment or needing solutions to resolve communication difficulties.

Developed with the knowledge, expertise and support of Tunstall, HMA Digital Marketing is leading the project to develop a working prototype that demonstrates how the initial concept can be adapted according to need. Initial meetings with user groups and literature reviews are providing a better understanding of what the target audiences require from the latest assisted living technology.

Dr Ceri Batchelder, Business Development Director and HMA's lead on digital healthcare, said "Creative England's support and our partnership with Tunstall and CATCH are enabling us to accelerate the development of mHealth Assist and provide new digital approaches to improve quality of care."

Richard‎ France, Centre Development Manager at CATCH said: "We are delighted to be collaborating with Tunstall Healthcare and HMA Digital Marketing on the development of the mHealth Assist technology platform. This is an exciting partnership where our expertise in researching new technologies to support health and social care complements the innovative digital design ideas at HMA and the commercial development experience of Tunstall."

Jim Farmery, Director of Business Investment at Creative England, said: "We introduced the NHS Digital Fund in partnership with NHS England to help improve the health and wellbeing of patients using the very technology we have at our fingertips - mobile technology and app development. mHealth Assist is the perfect example of creative and innovative technology that can be developed with the right support. At Creative England we continue to invest in and support creative businesses so we can see more of this fantastic work in the future."

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About HMA Digital Marketing
HMA Digital Marketing is a full-service digital and creative agency that supports clients across the UK. A strong client portfolio in the life sciences and healthcare sector has led to in-depth experience in developing digital solutions to support healthcare. Founded in 1996 and based in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, HMA provides expert digital marketing services in online branding and design and development. The company has established long-term relationships with many of its clients who trust the team’s experience and industry insights to deliver results. HMA has a well proven process for managing complex projects which is acknowledged by a Quality Management System ISO 9001:2008 certification.

About the University of Sheffield
With nearly 25,000 students from 125 countries, the University of Sheffield is one of the UK’s leading and largest universities. A member of the Russell Group, it has a reputation for world-class teaching and research excellence across a wide range of disciplines. The University of Sheffield was named University of the Year in the Times Higher Education Awards 2011 for its exceptional performance in research, teaching, access and business performance. In addition, the University has won four Queen’s Anniversary Prizes (1998, 2000, 2002, and 2007).

These prestigious awards recognise outstanding contributions by universities and colleges to the United Kingdom's intellectual, economic, cultural and social life. Sheffield also boasts five Nobel Prize winners among former staff and students and many of its alumni have gone on to hold positions of great responsibility and influence around the world. The University's research partners and clients include Boeing, Rolls-Royce, Unilever, Boots, AstraZeneca, GSK, ICI, Slazenger, and many more household names, as well as UK and overseas government agencies and charitable foundations.

The University has well-established partnerships with a number of universities and major corporations, both in the UK and abroad. Its partnership with Leeds and York Universities in the White Rose Consortium has a combined research power greater than that of either Oxford or Cambridge.

About Centre for Assistive Technology & Connected Healthcare (CATCH)
CATCH is researching new user-friendly technologies to enable people to live independently. CATCH builds on a world-leading interdisciplinary research base across assistive technology and connected healthcare at the University of Sheffield, bringing together and coordinating expertise across health research, engineering, psychology, computer science, architecture, and social science. We have a track record of working with and connecting users, health and social care professionals and partners to design, develop and deliver innovative solutions to address everyday challenges.

About Tunstall
Tunstall Healthcare Group is the market leading provider of telehealthcare solutions, with over 3.6 million users globally. Tunstall's solutions support older people and those with long-term needs, helping them to live independently by effectively managing their health and well-being. Its solutions have been proven effective in the world's largest telehealthcare trial. Tunstall provides technology, expertise and advice to millions of people enabling them to lead independent more fulfilling lives.